USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53)

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Career

Ordered:	25 September 1987
Laid down:	8 August 1990
Launched:	26 October 1991
Commissioned:	18 December 1993
Decommissioned:
Fate:	Active in service
Homeport:	San Diego, California
Struck:
General Characteristics
Displacement:	8,315 tons
Length:	505 ft
Beam:	66 ft
Draught:	31 ft
Propulsion:	4 x General Electric LM 2500-30 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 100,000 shp
Speed:	30+ knots
Range:
Complement:	337 officers and enlisted
Armament:	1 x 29 cell, 1 x 61 cell Mk 41 vertical launch systems, 90 x RIM-67 SM-2, BGM-109 Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-Asroc, missiles 1 x 5 in, 2 x 25 mm, 4 x 12.7 mm guns, 2 x Phalanx CIWS 2 x Mk 46 triple torpedo tubes
Aircraft:	1 SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter can be embarked
Motto:	In Harm's Way

USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53) is the third Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer and the first ship of the class homeported on the west coast. The mission of John Paul Jones is to conduct prompt and sustained operations at sea in support of U.S. national interests. John Paul Jones is capable of operating independently, as an element of a coordinated force, or as the nucleus of a surface action group, and to direct and coordinate anti-air, surface, undersea, and strike warfare operations. The ship is named in honor of Naval hero, John Paul Jones, and derives her motto from a famous quote of his, "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go in harm's way."

In order to successfully conduct this mission, John Paul Jones has been fitted with the latest weapons, engineering, and damage control systems. The AEGIS Weapons system is the most advanced air defense network in the world. John Paul Jones is capable of conducting both offensive and defensive operations using Tomahawk and Harpoon cruise missiles, standard missiles, CIWS, and 5-inch gun. The ship is powered by four General Electric LM2500 Gas Turbine Engines generating 100,000 shaft horse power, and is capable of reaching speeds in excess of 30 knots. The ARLEIGH BURKE Class is the first class of U.S. warships to be fitted with an integrated Chemical, Biological and Radiological defense system.

USS John Paul Jones was selected as the Shock Trial platform for the DDG-51 Class. The ship was subjected to a series of close range explosions in order for the Navy to obtain critical information concerning the survivability of the DDG-51 class in a shock environment. The crew prepared the ship for the most demanding and complex surface ship shock trial test in the history of the Navy. The ship has completed four deployments to the Arabian Gulf.

See USS John Paul Jones for other ships of this name.

External links

Official USS John Paul Jones Web site

References

This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register.